Voting-machine.



PATENTED DBG. 13, 1904.

E. P. CHAPMAN. VOTNG MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED MN. 15, 1904.

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NQ MODEL.

nvawtoa @Vi magno i @Vf/@m LmJf PATENTED DEG. 13, 1904.

E. E. CHAPMAN.

VTNG MACHINE.

APLIGATION FILED 51115.15. 1904.

UNITED STATES Patented Decemberfl 3, 1904.

EUGENE E. CHAPMAN, CF MARCELINE, MlSSOURl.

VOTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 777,077, dated December 13, 1904.

Application filed January 15, 1904. Serial No. 189,147. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, EUGENE F. CHAPMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Marceline, in the county of Chariton, in the State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Voting-Machine, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to voting-machines in which the movements of a platform on which the voter stands while casting his vote actuates the mechanism of the device in carrying out the operation of voting. The act of voting, however, with this machine is not done by depositing a ticket or printed ballot, but by inscribing upon a movable sheet the names or characters representing the names of the candidates or other objects to be voted for. The device is intended to simplify the operation of voting' and to prevent errors and frauds at elections.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention, its various features being referred to by lettersv similar letters denoting corresponding parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine with the casing partly broken away and the cover opened. Fig. 2 is a front elevation, partly in section, with the front door removed and without the hand-rails. Fig. 3 is a plan of the interior, the movable top being removed. Fig. 4 is a planof the movable or sliding top. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional elevation of parts of the machine on line a' a of Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a fragment of a votingsheet.

The letter A designates the body or casing of the machine. It has abase a, whose sides project forward and carry a cross-rod b, which supports a platform B, adapted to be tilted on said cross-rod b. A lever-frame C swings on a cross-rod c at the rear of the base t and has a cross-rod c' at its front ends engaging longitudinal slots Z2 in the rear ends of the platform B.

D D are hand-rails secured to the body A and the base a to prevent crowding against the voter on the platform.

d CZ are side stays to hold the cover E open and to support a hinged leaf e, bearing the directions for voting or other information.

F is a vertical plate-frame in the front part of the body A, to which is journaled the shafts of the mechanism now to be described. fithin the casing are three rollers, of which Cr is the one carrying the voting-sheet g. From the roller G this sheet passes over a platenroller H at the top of the machine and passing on down is wound upon a rollerJ. These rollers revolve upon shafts journaled in the plate E and in the rear side of the body A. The lowest roller J has a ratchet y' atits front end, which is engaged by the tooth of a pawl K, whose lower end is pivoted to the frame C. By the reciprocal movement of the lever C the pawl K causes the intermittent partial rotation of roller J, which draws the votingsheet over the roller H off from roller Cr.

The depression of the frame C draws down also a rod L, whose lower end is pivoted to said lever C and whose upper end is pivoted to a short lever M, fulcrumed on the body A and having a vertical notch m at its upper edge.

N is the movable top of the machine. It has a short cross-bar a at its under side near one end, adapted to engage the notch m in the lever Vl. It also has a cross-slot n near its other end, which when the lever C is depressed moves directly over the voting-roller H, but when the lever C is raised the top N is moved until it covers the voting-roller.

At a point on the rod L intermediate of its ends is a short arm O, on which is mounted a small wheel 0, which contactswith a tongue p on a rocking frame P, which carries the printing-roller p', journaled in said frame P. This printing-roller is provided with annular printing elevations p2 and is adapted to contact by gravity with the votingsheet to produce straight lines /t thereon as the sheet passes between the printing -roller and the platenroller. The printing-roller is intermittently thrown out of contact with said sheet by the downward movement of the arm O. The frame P rocks on the shaft p3, journaled in the frame F and the rear of the body` A. An ink-pad p* is provided for the roller p on the frame P. A lever Q is pivoted to the plate F, one end, q, of which is adapted to engage a lower tooth of the ratchet j and whose other end is weighted and adapted when released to strike IOO a bell R. This lever is adjusted with reference to the ratchet 7' so that the weight Q is raised when the lever C is depressed, and the weight is permitted to strike the bell when the lever C is raised.

A threaded stop-pin S through the body A by its contact with the tongue p limits the rocking movement of the printing mechanism.

In order to prevent tampering with the machine when not in use, a catch-hook i' on the plate is provided to engage a pin q at the weighted end of lever Q, which is lifted up for that purpose. This movement takes the lever Q, and the paWl K out of contact with ratchet j and causes a tooth Q3 on the under side of the lever Q to engage a notch 7; in the pawl K. This adjustment locks the entire mechanism.

General directions for voting are placed on the leaf e, and particular information concerning the pending election is put on the top N.

The act of voting is performed as follows: The voter steps upon the platform B, whose outer end is normally depressed. As he moves to the body of the machine his weight depresscs the inner end of the platform, which carries down the front end of the frame C. This movement through the means already described causes the topl N to move to the left, so that the slot a is over the roller H. The voter then writes upon the voting-sheet the character which represents the party or candidate he favors, as directed upon the leaf e and top N. This done he steps back upon the outer end of the platform, which is lowered, and the mechanism is again thrown into position for the next vote.

Having described the invention, what I claim is l. A voting-machine having a base and a body thereon, a tiltable platform in front of said base, a base-lever pivoted at the rear of said base and actuated by said platform, a pawl pivotally connected with said base-lever,

a vertical plate at the front of said body, a

roller adapted to carry a voting-sheet, a ratchet on the front end of said roller journalcd in said plate and at the rear of said body and engaged by said pawl, and a platen-roller over which the voting-sheet may pass, for the purpose specified.

2. A voting-machine comprising a tiltable platform, a base-lever actuated by said platform, a pawl on said base-lever, a roller adapted to carry a voting-sheet and having-a ratchet engaged by said pawl, a platen -roller over which said sheet may pass and a cover over said platen-roller having a cross-slot therein, and means which are actuated by said platform to move said cover so that a part of said cover and said slot will be alternately over said voting-roller as described.

3. In a voting-machine having' an outer case, a tiltable platform, a base-lever actuated by said platform, a vertical rod on said base-lever, a short lever with a notch in its upper end, fulcrumed on said case and actuated by said rod, and a top on said case having a crossslot near one end and a cross-rod near its other end engaged by said notch in said short lever, whereby said top is caused to move alternately right and left by the tilting of said platform.

4C. In a machine of the character described, a tiltable platform, a base-lever actuated by said platform, a pawl on said base-lever, a roller moving the voting-sheet, a ratchet on said roller engaged by said pawl, a cross-lever pivoted on a front plate and having' a tooth to engage the lower part of said ratchet and a tooth to engage a notch in said pawl, a weighted end on said cross-lever adapted to strike a bell beneath said lever, a lateral pin on said cross-lever and a catch adapted to engage said pin, whereby the voting mechanism is locked, as herein set forth.

EUGENE F. CHAPMAN.

Witnesses:

XV. A. VHALEY, DANIEL HLM/nus. 

